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"I'LL be there for you," promised the theme tune of Friends and the US comedy kept TV viewers company for 238 episodes.

The sitcom about friends in Manhattan ended on American television nine years ago tomorrow and advertisers were charged a record Pounds 2.2m a minute to air their commercials during screen breaks.

The finale was watched by 51.1 million viewers and the comedy hit turned cast members Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer into stars.

Monica spoke the first lines of the series and Chandler the last in series 10. The theme song by The Rembrandts went to number one in the Billboard Hot 100.

The roll call of celebrity guests who joined in the fun included Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Dakota Fanning, Danny Devito, Alec Baldwin, Jeff Goldblum, Chris Isaak, Gary Oldman, Donny Osmond, Sean Penn, Charlie Sheen, Robin Williams and Julia Roberts.

Three cast members from The Simpsons also made guest appearances on Friends - Dan Castellaneta, Hank Azaria, and Harry Shearer.

The comedy has been watched across the world from Australia to Serbia. Spin-off series Joey followed the end of Friends, but never captured the same success and was short lived.

GANDALF sitcom combination, flat and the canned.

"I've just got a bit of a whiff off him. It's making my eyes water," Paul O'Grady after meeting English Mastiff King

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